1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to automotive safety devices and more particularly to an impact element for the protection of the occupants of a vehicle, especially of a motor vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Impact-elements for the protection of the passengers in a motor vehicle are well known in the prior art and take many different forms. For example, in German Pat. Nos. 1,172,559 and 1,227,359, impact-elements are described as protective, hollow rubber paddings that are mounted onto projecting portions of a vehicle by means of screws. The prior art paddings protect the occupants in the case of light impact. However, the prior art devices described in the aforementioned German patents are not particularly well suited for preventing injuries when somewhat greater impacts are involved since the paddings are frequently too resilient and are too soft for this purpose.
For the protection of the occupants in motor vehicles, it is known from German Pat. No. 1,214,558 to mount covering panels against selected interior surfaces of the vehicle, namely above the dashboard of the motor vehicle. Energy-absorbing deformation members are frequently used for this purpose. The energy-absorbing deformation members of the prior art either extend over the entire width of the dashboard or they are constructed in the form of short cross pieces which are distributed over the width of the dashboard. The energy-absorbing deformation members of the prior art may be semicircular, shell-shaped, stepped or undular in cross section and are proportioned in such a manner that they become permanently deformed and, in given cases, may even be destroyed when the head of the passenger impacts against the covering panel.